“ . . . an exceptionally interesting and enjoyable CD. For all the different origins of its songs, one attribute stands out: All of them insist that their listeners start toe-tapping, hand-clapping or finger-snapping, and finally, that they get up and dance.” — Natalie Wainwright, Arts & Life reviewer for the Evanston Round Table
To read more of the review, click here!

Jutta & the Hi-Dukes(tm) started life out as the Balkan Rhythm Band(tm), which won the N.A.I.R.D. award for Best Ethnic Record of the year and was one of Chicagoland’s first world music groups, started by Terran Doehrer in 1980. Shortly after Jutta Distler joined the Balkan Rhythm Band in 1990, she and Doehrer decided to broaden the band’s jazzy-Balkan focus to include other types of ethnic music. It made sense to change the band’s name and they playfully chose “Jutta & the Hi-Dukes.”

The decision was a good one. Michigan’s famous BlissFest, which has invited the Hi-Dukes to play there many times, wrote, “They have an amazing repertoire … they have that authentic chutzpah that makes the music come alive … This band knows how to reach everyone, regardless of age or background.”

This new CD, which was released on the twenty first anniversary of the band’s name change, represents the group’s unique nature and their infectious, enthusiastic energy. From grooving Balkan Gypsy songs to meditative medieval Danish songs, from exotic Greek pieces to hot American Klezmer and Dixieland tunes, this CD really does have something for just about everyone to like. Which is one big reason we here at Earwig decided to add World Music to our catalog and have this eclectic, appealing group put us all “On The World Beat.”
CLICK HERE TO BUY YOUR COPY NOW!

Les Copeland started his professional career as a country blues guy with a bottleneck stuck on one finger. From down home Delta to uptown Chicago blues, Les can improvise anything. Primarily self-taught, his unique sound has developed out of a rich mixture of influences including blues, jazz, Spanish flamenco, pop and classical music. This album marks Les’s Earwig Music label debut. It showcases Les’ fine finger picking, melodic sensibility and chordal finesse, and his wry and ironic lyrical observations about everyday people. Blues legend Honeyboy Edwards, with whom Les has toured in Canada for 14 years, guests on guitar on 2 tracks, and Honeyboy’s manager Michael Frank plays harmonica on 3 tracks. This cd is a healthy dose of Americana roots and blues, done Les’s inimitable way.
Chicago Blues Music

Andy Cohen has studied and played old music all his life, wandering North America as a songster. He lives by playing old songs. On this cd, Andy plays acoustic guitar, piano, dulceola and sings. On some pieces he is accompanied by his wife Larkin Bryant, on haunting vocals and mandolin. Here are unadulterated songs from the early days of the blues – 2 piano rags done as guitar pieces, 3 blue country songs, 2 piano boogies, one of which has passed between the piano and guitar for over seventy years. The rest are a variety of blues numbers, including a talking blues by Woodie Guthrie, 2 tough ones by Memphis Minnie, 1 each by Big Bill Broonzy, Teddy Darby, and Henry Spaulding. For Andy, these songs are some of the central chunks of his troubadour life, especially “Cairo Blues”, the weirdest blues ever composed, by a barber from central Illinois.
Chicago Blues mp3

Hot on the heels of their Blues Music Award-nominated Earwig debut, Stop And Think About It, San Diego-based vocalist/guitarist Chris James and bassist Patrick Rynn return with Gonna Boogie Anyway. Chris and Patrick’s roots are firmly planted in traditional blues; they’re expert at raw-edged Chicago and Delta styles as well as swinging jump blues. Gonna Boogie Anyway features several unplugged selections-a first for the duo-showcasing their unerring grasp of the idiom alongside hard-driving band-backed tracks. Original material dominates, though Chris and Patrick revive classics by Bo Diddley, Jimmy Reed, and Robert Lockwood, Jr. Their studio cohorts include piano legends Henry Gray (50s sideman to Bo Diddley and Howlin’ Wolf), ex-Freddie King keyboard accompanist David Maxwell and drummers Sam Lay and Willie Hayes; Bob Corritore and Earwig label mate Rob Stone share harmonica duties. Deep, satisfying blues with a high-energy swagger!

With the release of Back Around Here, blues fans outside the Windy City, where Rob Stone plays at the House of Blues, will no longer be wondering about his current musical whereabouts. You won’t find anything downbeat on this new release: whether in the studio or onstage, this harp player maintains a high-energy attack. Rob’s rich, fat harmonica tone displays the stylistic sway of his mighty heroes – Little Walter, Big Walter Horton, the two Sonny Boys, and Junior Wells. Backing him on this new album are his longtime friends guitarist Chris James and bassist Patrick Rynn, who combined with Stone to write eight fresh originals, including the jumping title track, a houserocker driven by tight horns and James’ slashing axe. The three exhibit the same tight ensemble playing and unshakable commitment to Chicago blues tradition that defined their trio, The C-Notes. Guest artists include Sam Lay and Willie Hayes on drums, Rodney Brown on Sax, and David Maxwell on piano.

Grady Champion, grew up on a farm in Canton, Mississippi. He released his debut album, Goin’ Back Home in 1998, drawing ever-larger crowds to blues clubs around Florida and Mississippi before signing with Shanachie Records, for which he did two albums, in 1999 and 2001.

From the inception of his career as a blues performer, Champion has sought to tackle new lyrical themes with his original compositions. He is a charismatic performer, poised to bust out worldwide, with the international release on the Earwig Music label, of his cd Back in Mississippi Live.

David Whiteis of the Chicago Reader had this to say about Grady in 1999, “…His greatest strength is his voice, a tough, raspy mix of youthful swagger and wounded weariness …

He’s one of the most eloquent blues songwriters coming up today, making music that combines emotional depth and unrestrained celebration …”

In January 2010, Grady won the 26th International Blues Challenge beating out 110 bands from around the world. As a result, Grady has been booked on high profile festivals and events, including the Chicago Blues Festival, and the Ultimate Rhythm & Blues Cruise.